TORONTO —
Passenger rights advocates are encouraging Canadians to refuse travel vouchers for cancelled flights, warning that consumers are entitled to refunds by law in Canada — a rule they say is not enforced.
“Airlines are currently stealing the public’s money in Canada,” Gabor Lukacs, president of the Airline Passenger Rights group, told CTV’s NewsDay on Quibi.
“When your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to a refund. It’s the law in Canada… the difference is if Canada doesn’t enforce the rights of passengers.”
Airline executive have repeatedly defended their decision not to issue refunds to customers after thousands of flights were cancelled due to COVID-19. Instead many have saddled customers with vouchers they likely won’t use in the foreseeable future, as borders remain closed amid the ongoing pandemic.
But Lukacs and other rights advocates are encouraging consumers to refuse the vouchers altogether.
“Our advice to people is do not accept the voucher. Make it very clear, if you don’t accept it, [that] it’s not something that they can impose on you,” he says.
Earlier this week, executives from Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat were questioned about these refund refusals by parliamentarians during a House of Commons health committee meeting.
During the meeting, Jared Mikoch-Gerke, manager of aviation security at WestJet Airlines Ltd., stated that an April statement from the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) said “that airline tariffs do not always provide for cash refunds, especially in cases beyond our control.”
However, in a statement sent to CTVNews.ca on Tuesday, the CTA disputed Mikoch-Gerke’s claim, stating that the CTA “never granted airlines the right to refuse a cash refund for a cancellation related to COVID-19.”
“If a person believes they are entitled to a refund for a flight that was cancelled for reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic and doesn’t want to accept a voucher, they can ask the airline for a refund,” the statement read.
“If a passenger thinks they are entitled to a refund and the airline refuses to provide one or offers a voucher with conditions the passenger doesn’t want to accept, they can file a complaint with the CTA, which will determine if the airline complied with the terms of its tariff. Each case will be decided on its merits.”
Customers with flights originating in the European Union, Switzerland and Iceland due to the pandemic are “entitled to receive a refund,” according to a document recently posted to Air Canada’s website.
The statement cites an EU regulation that grants passengers “the right to choose between reimbursement, rerouting or rebooking the flight at a later date” if their trip is called off by the airline.
This comes after WestJet offered refunds to travellers whose tickets list a U.S. or U.K. city as the destination or origin, provided the flight isn’t a part of a vacation package.
Lukacs notes that if the airline cancels the flight but does not provide a refund in the form of original payment, customers can dispute the claim in the form of a chargeback with their credit card company.
Chargebacks are used to protect credit card customers and are a way for consumers to dispute transactions for services that were not fulfilled. If approved by the credit card company, a refund for the transaction will be processed.
“If your credit card is being unco-operative, refuse to pay your credit card bill,” Lukacs adds.
I ACCEPTED A VOUCHER BUT IT’S ABOUT TO EXPIRE. WHAT CAN I DO?
Lukacs notes that consumers who are stuck with airline vouchers shouldn’t give up the fight just yet.
“I would simply say I didn’t accept it. It was sent to me involuntarily,” he said, encouraging consumers to fight for a refund despite having the voucher.
If the airline still refuses, Lukacs says to threaten action through the credit card company.
“In most cases with most chargebacks it’s a statutory right. It’s guaranteed by your Provinces Consumer Protection Act,” he said. “It is your entitlement.”
On June 4, six consumer associations and civil society members penned a letter to the government asking that they ensure customers be refunded in their original form of payment. However, the government has yet to compel the airline to issue any refunds.
With files from CTV News’ Rachel Gilmore and The Canadian Press.
MONTREAL – One expert says entry-level pay under the tentative deal between Air Canada and its pilots could be a stumbling block ahead of a union vote on the agreement.
Under their current contract, pilots earn far less in their first four years at the company before enjoying a big wage increase starting in year five.
The Air Line Pilots Association had been pushing to scrap the so-called “fixed rate” provision entirely.
But according to a copy of the contract summary obtained by The Canadian Press, the proposed deal announced Sunday would merely cut the four-year period of lower pay to two years.
John Gradek, who teaches aviation management at McGill University, says as many as 2,000 of Air Canada’s roughly 5,200 active pilots may earn entry-level wages following a recent hiring surge.
After the airline averted a strike this week, Gradek says the failure to ditch the pay grade restrictions could prompt pushback from rank-and-file flight crew and jeopardize the deal, which is up for a vote next month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.
ROME (AP) — Salvatore “Totò” Schillaci, the Italy striker who was top scorer at its home World Cup in 1990, has died. He was 59.
Schillaci had been hospitalized in Palermo following treatment for colon cancer.
The Palermo Civico hospital said in a statement that Schillacci died on Wednesday morning after being admitted 11 days ago.
Schillaci scored six goals for Italy during the 1990 World Cup. He came on as a substitute during Italy’s opener against Austria, scored in a 1-0 victory, and went on to earn the Golden Boot awarded to the tournament’s top scorer. He only scored one other goal for Italy in his career.
Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina announced that a minute of silence would be held in memory of Schillaci before all games in the country for the rest of the week.
“The uncontrollable celebrations, in which his face was the symbol of shared joy, will remain forever part of Italian soccer (history),” Gravina said. “Totò was a great player, a symbol of tenacious desire and redemption. … His soccer was full of passion. And that fearless spirit made everyone appreciate him and will make him immortal.”
Schillaci also won the Golden Ball award at the 1990 World Cup as the tournament’s top player ahead of Lothar Matthaus and Diego Maradona.
Schillaci played for Messina, Juventus, Inter Milan and Japanese team Jubilo Iwata during his club career.
“You made an entire nation dream during the Magical Nights of Italia ’90,” Inter said on its social media channels.
West Germany won the 1990 World Cup, beating Argentina in the final, while Italy beat England for third place with a winning penalty kick from Schillaci.
Roberto Baggio, who scored Italy’s opening goal in the third-place match, wrote on Instagram, “Ciao my dear friend.”
Having been born and raised in Palermo, the Palermo soccer team announced that it would hold a public viewing of Schillaci at its Renzo Barbera stadium ahead of the funeral, the Gazzetta dello Sport reported.
French soccer player Wissam Ben Yedder will stay free ahead of his trial on charges of sexual assault while intoxicated, one of his lawyers told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Marie Roumiantseva said Ben Yedder will remain under strict judicial supervision after a woman filed a lawsuit for sexual assault earlier this month.
The 34-year-old Ben Yedder, a prolific striker in the French league, was briefly detained then released after the alleged incident in his car on the French Riviera. Ben Yedder had been stopped by police after he first refused to do so. He was then put in a jail cell.
After he was summoned to appear in court on Oct. 15 and placed under judicial supervision, the Nice prosecutor’s office appealed the decision not to remand the player in custody. The investigative chamber of the Court of Appeal of Aix-en-Provence did not grant this request and kept Ben Yedder under judicial supervision.
Ben Yedder attended a hearing Tuesday during which he offered to go to rehab. He has admitted he drove while under the influence of alcohol but has denied any sexual assault.
In a separate legal case last year, Ben Yedder was charged with “rape, attempted rape and sexual assault” over another alleged incident in the south of France.
Ben Yedder has been without a club since his contract with Monaco expired at the end of last season.
